Los Angeles Immigration Law Blog

Ruling temporarily stops the deportation of TPS immigrants

On behalf of Berke Law Offices, Inc. posted in removal proceedings on Thursday, October 18, 2018.

Many immigrants in southern California are in the United States because they enjoy protection under the Temporary Protected Status program (TPS). In its never-ending campaign to remove such protections, the Trump Administration recently announced a plan to terminate the TPS program for immigrants from Sudan, El Salvador, Haiti and Nicaragua. The announcement immediately threatened immigrants from these countries will imminent deportation. However, a federal judge in Los Angeles issued an injunction that requires the government to maintain the program and the protected status of its beneficiaries while a class action that challenges the validity of the termination proposal comes to trial.

The TPS program is intended to provide favored immigration status for immigrants from countries that are suffering from dire conditions, such as epidemics, war or natural disaster. Prior administrations were willing to continue the program, but the Trump administration is intent upon ending the protections, saying they are no longer necessary.

Trump policies lead to more arrests of non-criminal immigrants

On behalf of Berke Law Offices, Inc. posted in criminal immigration concerns on Thursday, October 4, 2018.

President Trump is fond of using stories of crimes committed by illegal immigrants to stoke support for his harsh immigration policies. Recent studies are showing, however, that the administration's harsh policies are leading to the arrests of an increasing number of non-criminal immigrants.

Most people arrested in the administration's crackdown on illegal immigration are usually accused of lesser offences, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are increasingly arresting people with no criminal record at all. A policy analyst with the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute says that the arrest of non-criminal immigrants has become "a defining characteristic of this administration's approach to immigration."

Trump administration tries to avoid Flores rule

On behalf of Berke Law Offices, Inc. posted in family immigration on Friday, September 21, 2018.

One of the longest standing judicial rulings that affects immigrant families is the class action consent decree known as the Flores Settlement. The settlement is named after the young Hispanic girl who was reunited with her parents as the result of that settlement. She had been incarcerated with adult men and stripped searched every day while in lengthy government custody. The settlement requires that migrant children be released from custody without unnecessary delay or transferred to a licensed child care facility. In emergency, the time limit can be extended to twenty days.

The Trump administration recently filed proposed rules intended to allow minors to be held beyond the current limit of 20 days and to relax the licensing requirements for temporary housing facilities. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said that the restrictions of the Flores consent decree were "legal loopholes" that significantly hinder the department's ability to appropriately detain and promptly remove family units that have no legal basis to remain in the country." In other words, the effort to amend the terms of the Flores Consent Decree is nothing more than an effort to extend the government's "zero tolerance" treatment of immigrant families.

Worries about deportation common among DACA recipients

On behalf of Berke Law Offices, Inc. posted in removal proceedings on Wednesday, September 12, 2018.

The future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has been up in the air for some time now. So, it is understandable that participants in the program would have concerns about their future. One thing that a recent study points to as being a regular source of worry among DACA participants is the possibility of future deportation.

In the study, by the Center for American Progress, over 1,000 participants in this program were surveyed about how often they thought about deportation. Nearly a third of them live in California.

The ins and outs of family immigration

On behalf of Berke Law Offices, Inc. on Tuesday, August 28, 2018.

For United State citizens and permanent residents, the next step in your immigration process may be to help your family come to the country as well. Family members of U.S. citizens and green card holders may be eligible for sponsorship to become permanent residents through a family-based immigration process.

Different relatives qualify for different types of sponsorship, so it’s important to know your options in helping a family member move to the U.S. Government-issue visa programs prioritize certain relationships for sponsorship which means some relatives may experience a different process than others.

The International Entrepreneur Rule is in effect, but probably not for long.

On behalf of Berke Law Offices, Inc. on Tuesday, December 26, 2017.

On December 14, 2017 the administration was forced to begin accepting applications for parole under the International Entrepreneur Rule (IER), but there is little reason to rejoice in this (yet).

Welcome to Attorney Shant Nazarian, our new associate

On behalf of Berke Law Offices, Inc. on Friday, December 22, 2017.

Berke Law Offices, Inc. is pleased to announce that we have added a fourth attorney to our staff. Shant Nazarian is a graduate of Loyola Law School and a member in good standing of the State Bar of California.

Phone Issue

On behalf of Berke Law Offices, Inc. on Friday, November 3, 2017.

We have received word that there has been an interruption in our phone number transferring to our new offices. If you tried calling us on (818)804-5729 and received an error message, please call us at (818)436-2924 until we have the issue resolved.

We've Moved!

On behalf of Berke Law Offices, Inc. on Wednesday, October 25, 2017.

With three attorneys and a full support staff we needed a larger office, so we've moved into spacious new offices at:

AILA CONSUMER ADVISORY: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program Ending. Don't Get Scammed!

On behalf of Berke Law Offices, Inc. on Friday, September 8, 2017.

On September 5, 2017, President Trump announced that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will be ending. This impacts almost 800,000 young people who entered the U.S. before age 16 who had temporary protection from deportation and work authorization. While Congress may act and pass a permanent protection for Dreamers, here is what you need to know right now: